Merry-go-round.



No. 828,073. PATENTBD AUG. 7, 1906. W. w. TIGE. MERRY-GO-ROUND.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

a l I l l l I? WIFE/E8558.- INVENTOR.

12 (m Joke M -AYFTORNEY.

1m: NGRRIS'PETERS cm, WASHINGTON, n. c.

WILLIAM W. TICE, OF 'PIQUA, OHIO.

MERRY-GO-ROUND- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 7, 19.0.6.

Application filed November-25, 1904. Serial No. 2345188.

To aZltwhowt it mag concern:

Be it known-that I, WILLIAM W. TIoE, a citizen of'theUnited States, anda resident of thecity of Piquayin the county of-Miami andiState of'Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Merry- Goltound's;of which the following is aspecification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantagesresulting from their use, conj ointly or otherwise, will be apparentfrom the following description'and claims.

-I will now proceed to describe myinvention indetail.

Inthe accompanying-drawings, making a part of this application, and inwhich-similar etters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of mechanismillustratingmy invention. Fig. 2'is a view of the under side of theupper revolving portion of this merry go-round illustrated in Fig. 1.Fig. 3is-a top view of'that part of the mechanism which lies below thehorizontal-plane of the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 2 and 3 are*ona scale smaller than that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isanenlarged-detailof the preferred connectionbetween-the centralsupport and the revolving platform.

A and-A and A indicate the basal supports ofthe machine. Each ofthesupports A and A is preferably annular; but it may be of any othersuitable shape. The support A is for upholding the step or bearing forthe central mast. Above these supports Ilocate a'platform B. This notonly is convenient for standing upon when occasion requires, but also itserves'to interconnect-the annular basal supports=andthe centralhearing.

I provide a central structure for supporting the revolving portions ofthe mechanism. Thiscentral structure is substantially asfollows: PostsC, supportedon the base A eX- tend upwardly and are connected attheirupper ends. Intermediately they are connected by suitable braces,preferred forms of which are shown and are marked D D, C C C and'CThe'revolving platform R for holding the persons'to be carriedis dulysupported from a frame above. This frame Z may be solid; but I prefer tomake it ofa skeleton form. The frame Z'is supported at the center and atits periphery. At the center it is supported as'follows: A stationarybearing-plate E is supported on the po'stsC. Ithasan annular groove E Ahearing piece orwplate F is fixed to the frame Z and' has-onitsunder-side an annular groove F The' grooves E an'd F are oppositeoneanother, and in themaare the frictionballs or-= rollers G; Thisbearing is a non-friction one. The central shafwM extendsu through;andthus enables-the-two bearing p ates E and -F to be readilykept'concentric. Thjsshaft-M also serves to uphol'd andstiffen the-skeletonstructure of th'e frame Z. The device is rotated bythisshaft-Mz Theframe Z is conveniently constructed with the ringH on the "shaft-"Mand=br aeing rods H "H H and radial*arm* f*. Ro'd's H are preferablyconnected to th'eir horizontal' bars at-points W W This-framedstobesupportedat or nearits periphery. 'Between-that support and theframea'znon frictionbearing or bearings should be*present-. 7 5 The preferredconstruction for-"thiS purpose is as follows: I =provid'e a-series-of-"posts P located atsuitable intervals concentrically to-theaxial=center of themachine. Theseposts are supported upon -='a=suitable-annular post A. At their'top they are-providedwith an annularconnection-P; provided witli a channell, adapted'to receive the treaiilJof the wheel-J. Thereare a'suit'able number! of these wheels located'atproper intervals at 8 the periphery-of the frame-H. To roperlysupport the wheelsythere=extends omthe frame H in-each case an axleH7,-on =which the hub ofthe wheel'J revolves. Thehub of the wheel ispreferably extendedon' each-side 0 of the plane ofthe spokes, and'thus-formsan elongated bearing J J The axle 'H on which this wheelrevolves is preferably'an extension of the radial'arm H of the frame. Asthe frame H revolvesthese wheels run in the groove P and duly supportthe frame H- and also keep it at times horizontal.

From theframeH is suspended in-a suitablemanner the annularplatform Radapted to carry the people who'wish to use the I00 merry-go-round. Thesuspensions are preferably made'by'means of wire cables X, preferablyunited to the horizontal bars H by connection W W Any suitable mode ofcarrying the eople upon theseplatforms can 10 5 be employe The referableone consists of the seats S S, radia ly disposed.

When the frame H is revolving rapidly,

there would be a tendency of the annular ring of the platform R to swayobj ectio'nably more or less. I provide means for preventing suchswaying, and the preferred description of such means is as follows: Tothe under side of the inner edge portion of the annular platform R, Iconnect a rail R tread or operative portion is undermost. On the fixedplatform D of the central stationary structure I locate sheaves Rrevolving on or with axlesR, supported in suitable bearings, one form ofwhich, D, is shown in Fig. 4. These bearings are fixed to the platform.Of course the rail might be located on the fixed platform and thesheaves upon the under adjacent portion of the revoluble annular latformR, this being a mere equivalent the device aforenamed.

The mast M is supported at'the bottom, preferably by a device which Ihave invented for securing the best operation of it at all times, towit: In the basal support A I provide a recess, and in this I locate thesleeve K, havin a flange K resting upon the basal support The 7 interiorsurface of the sleeve K is provided with a screw-thread K I provide astep-piece L, having an exterior screw-thread L which engages a femalescrew K of the sleeve K. This step has a recess L into which the foot ofthe mast is placed or. stepped. This step is preferably further providedwith'a flange L whereby it may be easily rotated and may be used forother obvious purposes. The function of this step is to enable thisbearing to always share in the work of duly supportin the mast-M, aswell as in steadying it, and also when necessary adjusting the gear N,fixed on the mast, so that it shall properly en gage gear N fixed on theshaft N which latter receives the power used to move the rotatableportions of the merry-go-round.

course instead of the gear N N other means for rotating these movableportions of the merry-go-round can be employed.

Suitable stairs from the ground to the platform D are to be provided, ofwhich one form is shown and indicated by the letter Q. Two or more suchflights of stairs are preferably employed. These flights of stairs Qextend to the central platform D. From the platform D the revolvingplatform R can be readily reached.

On the perpendicular shaft M, under the grooved plate. E and on thesupportingframework, I place an adjustable collar E to prevent theperpendicular shaft from raisin when in use. This collar E is suitablyfixe to the shaft M, preferably by a set-screw E. In the event of aninjury to one of the friction-balls, &c., this collar can be loosenedand the driving-gear lowered on the shaft, and then with the aid of astrong wrench applied to the aforementioned step device at the foot ofthe shaft this shaft and the rotatable structure can be readily andquickly raised and adjusted and the injured ball or balls replaced.

What I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. In a merry-go-round, a central struc ture, and a rotatable frametherefor, an annular grooved plate fixed to the central structure, anannular grooved plate fixed to the rotatable frame, these rooved platesfacing each other,balls or rollers in the grooves of the plates, theplates being concentric with the rotatable frame and the centralstructure and a revolving platform suspended from the rotatable frameand having its inner edge engaging with the central structure,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

' 2. In a mer'ry-go-round, a central 'struc ture, a rotatable framethereon, a central shaft passing through the central structure andconnected to the rotatable frame, means for rotating said shaft and arevolving annular platform suspended from the rotatable frame and havingits inner edge engaging with the central structure.

3. In a merry-go-round, a central stationary structure, a rotatableframe supported thereby at its center, wheels on the outer edge of saidrotatable frame, an annular track for said wheels, and a revolvingplat-. form suspended from the rotatable frame and located between thecentral structure and the track, the inner edge of said platformengaging the central structure.

4. In a merry-go-round, a centralstructure, a rotatable frame thereon,means for rotating said frame, an annular platform suspended from saidframe, sheaves fixed to a part of the central structure and an annulartrack R fixed on the inner edge of the platform and engaging with thesheaves.

5. In a merry-go-round, a central stationary structure, a rotating framesupported thereby, an annular platform suspended from said rotatingframe, a stationary platform on the central structure, sheaves on one ofthe platforms and a track on the other engaging with the sheaves toprevent radial deection of the revolving platform.

6. In a merry-goround, a central structure, a rotatable frame supportedthereby, a revolving platform sus ended from the frame and having itsinner edge engagin with the central structure and non-frictiona means atsaid point of engagement.

7. In a merry-go-round, a central structure, a rotatable frame supportedthereby, supports for the outer periphery of said frame, a revolvingplatform suspended from said frame, a non-friction guide between therevolving platform and the central structure and means for rotating theframe.

8. In a merry-go-round, the central structure, rotatable frame, thenon-friction plates IIO respectively connected thereto, and axiallycident With the rotatable frame, and connect- :0 coincident therewith,the outlying non-friced thereto and means for rotating said shaft. tionbearings located at the periphery of the V In witness whereof I have setmy hand to rotatable frame, and an outlying non-friction thisspecification in the presence of two subsupport for these bearings, acontinuous anscribing witnesses.

nular passenger-platform supported by the WILLIAM W. TICE. rotatableframe, and a non-friction guide be- Attest: tween the passenger-platformand the cen- SAMUEL A. WEST.

tral structure, the central shaft axially coin- K. SMITH

